Hey everyone, here is the next chapter for you all. I apologise for not updating for the last two days but christmas was hectic getting everything ready and I haven't been very well for the last day or so. I'm fine now and I'm ready to get writing. I do apologise for not updating! I hope you can forgive me. I hope you had a nice christmas day and I hope you all have a wonderful new years. I hope you enjoy this chapter and things are going to get interesting in the next few chapters when it comes to William Reid. Enjoy and I hope to hear what you think.

I'm in a very good mood as here in the uk, it is now officially the 27th as its past midnight and it's my birthday! Here is to 21 years of being a Nutter in the world.

Thank you so much for all the reviews, you're wonderful and I send all my love out to you all. Thank you!

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All mistake are my own

Hotch put his son to bed, pulling the cover up so Jack would stay warm for the night. "Daddy, why doesn't Spencer live with his mommy and daddy?"

"Spencer's mommy is in heaven now," Hotch began to explain. "Don't ask him about that. He's very sad at the moment and we need to do everything we can to get him feeling happy."

"What about his daddy?"

"Spencer's daddy wasn't very nice to him and Spencer can't live with him any more. He's a very bad man and he hurt Spencer."

"You're a nice daddy, I love you," Jack smiled. "I like Spencer, he made my awesome death star. I hope he stays here. We can make him happy again."

"I'd like him to stay too," Hotch sighed. "Spencer deserves a new life and I think he likes having you around to make him feel happy again. Go to sleep now. I'll see you in the morning, buddy. Daddy loves you too. Goodnight."

"Night, daddy," Jack smiled. Hotch kissed Jack's forehead and gave him his bear. He got up and left the nightlight on, he closed the door and smiled. He made his way to Spencer's room. He knocked on the door.

"Spencer, can I come in?"

He waited for an answer but didn't receive one. He listened and didn't hear anything from inside the room. He opened the door and found it empty, the window open and a small note on the bed. He rushed over and picked up the note.

Hotch,

I'm sorry but I'm scared. I don't want to go to a foster home. I have money, I'll be fine.
They're going to take me away, I just know it.
My dad has probably pulled strings. Social services don't care about me. Thank you for everything and tell Jack that I'm sorry.
I'm sorry but I just can't go through it all again. I'm sorry I let you down, Hotch.

Goodbye

Spencer

Hotch noticed that Reid's duffel bag was gone and so were most of his clothes. He ran to his house phone and dialled the one woman who could find him. He couldn't believe this was happening.

Spencer sat on the cold platform waiting for the train to come, he brought his jacket further around himself as he shivered. He had enough money for a train ride and to stay somewhere cheap for a few days. He'd figure out what to do when he got there. He hugged his duffel bag closer and couldn't help the tears coming down his cheeks. He didn't want to go to a foster home. There were kids at his old school who were part of the system and he saw the look on their faces. They were in hell. His father had pulled strings before and he had learned not to tell anyone anything after that moment.

You told Hotch... his mind retorted.

He hunched and brought his arms further around himself. He did trust Hotch but he knew he wasn't going to stay there forever. He watched as his train began to come to the platform.

"Spencer!"

Spencer looked around and watched as Gideon ran over to him. Gideon came over to him. "What are you doing?"

"I'm leaving. Don't try to stop me. I know what will happen. The social worker is going to place me in a home. My dad knows how to pull strings in that department. He'll kill me if I ever go back."

"Spencer, Hotch is now worried out of mind. You don't want to do this. Think about what you're doing. The little amount of money you have won't last you forever. What will you do then?"

"I'll figure it out. Anything is better than going into the system. I like staying with Hotch but I know I can't stay forever. I'm just a project to you all."

"You aren't a project," Gideon shook his head. "You're a fifteen year old teenager and you need help. You know that too. We want to give you that help because we all see something special inside of you. We care about you and we have since the first day we saw you. It hurt us all to watch your father take you out of the hospital that night. What he did to you that night disgusted us. Hotch is now worried senseless about you, he keeps thinking about what could have happened to you and what might happen. Spencer, I've seen runaways before. They think they have a plan but they end up doing things to survive that they thought they would never do. You have a home and that is with Hotch."

"He shouldn't worry about me," Spencer said, shaking his head. "I can take care of myself."

"No, you can't."

"Are you calling me weak?!" Spencer snapped angrily.

"I'm not calling you weak. You're traumatized by the abuse you have suffered since you were three, by the attack by Eric Masters and by your own attempt to take your life."

"I thought it was the right thing! Just stop talking!"

"You need to hear this. You're safe here with us and the social worker will happily agree for you to stay with Hotch once the inspection is over. Hotch can take care of you and you know that. I know you're scared about this. Tell me, why?"

"No-one has ever cared for me and things are too nice for me for them to last. If I'm alone, I can't hurt anyone and no-one can hurt me. The first time that I got hit by my father, I didn't sleep. I remember being three and thinking that maybe, daddy just got a little angry. I thought daddy would never hurt me again. Then three years later, he drags me into a closet and ties me up. I was so damn scared and then he screamed and hit me when he let me out because I had wet myself. I can't go back to that bastard. I don't know where I belong and I know I'm going to mess things up. I killed my mom and I know I'm going to get others killed."

"Spencer, come and sit down," Gideon said as he guided an upset Spencer back to a bench. He sat him down and held him by his shoulders. "You didn't kill your mother."

"Yes, I did. He knows it too."

"You didn't kill your mother, don't ever think that. No-one may have cared for you before but you have people to care for you now. I know you think that things are going to go wrong but you can't keep that mentality. Things are getting better and they will continue to as long as you maintain a good state of mind. If you keep looking down a dark path, you'll never be able to walk out from that path. You can't let memories of what your father did to you, rule over you. You need to try to make new memories. We can help you do that. Running away isn't the answer. We won't let anything happen to you. You belong wherever you feel safe and I know that you know that isn't on your own. Come back with me, please."

Hotch walked around his living room, waiting for news. His front door opened. He made his way to the hall and watched as Gideon came in with Spencer at his side.

"Thank god," Hotch sighed as he felt all the stress of the last two hours leave his body.

"I'm sorry," Spencer cried before bringing his hand through his hair. "I don't want to go into a foster house. I thought being alone was the answer. I'm so sorry. I'll accept any punishment you want to give me."

Hotch stepped forward and watched Spencer begin to shake with fear. He brought his arms around Spencer and held him. "I'll never hurt you. It's okay. You were just scared. Just promise me that you won't do that again."

Spencer nodded. "I promise. I just don't want to go back to my father."

"You won't. I give you my word. I'm just relieved that you're safe. I've been worried sick about you. Anything could have happened to you. I've seen too much in my career and I was afraid that something had happened to you. Where did you go?"

"He was at the train station. I found him before he got on the train."

"I didn't want to cause you trouble and I thought I would run before they could take me away. "

"No-one will take you away. No-one can make you do something you don't want to do. I'm just happy that you're safe. I'm going to keep helping you no matter what."

"Spencer, so far, Mr Hotchner has proved that he has the facilities to take care of you. The only issue is with his work schedule. You need someone who can take care of you and supervise you. Especially after the incident only a few days ago. He tells me that you've made good progress over the last few days. Is that true?"

He felt like the social worker was burning into his soul with her cold stare. "I think I have. It's not hard to see that what I did was out of grief for losing my mother and fear of what you're thinking of doing to me. I don't think like that anymore. Mr Hotchner is helping me get better."

"What do you think I want to do?"

"You want to take me away from here and put me in a goddamn foster home. Give it a month or two and you'll hand me right back to my dad because he is going to classes. I know how your department works. I've seen it fail."

"There is a case against your father," she said. "The case is due to the abuse he subjected you to. I've spoken with the lawyers on the case and your father is pleading not guilty."

"That's bullshit!" Spencer shouted.

"Spencer, calm down," she said putting her hand up. "I'm here today because I need to do this assessment for your placement. I need to consider if Mr Hotchner has the time to take care of you properly. He has taken responsibility for you and he can't expect his ex sister-in-law, Jessica, to take care of you. Not with your current state. I think placement with another foster family is a better solution. All foster families get assessed and you'll be safe. You must be supervised and you won't be if I allow you to stay here."

"I like it here," Spencer shook his head. "I'm not leaving here unless Mr Hotchner wants me to. I don't want to go and live with strangers. I don't want to go. Please, don't make me go. If my dad wins his case somehow, I don't want to go back to him."

"Is it possible that your father abused you due to emotional issues? Your mother was ill and many people don't take that kind of stress well. Anger was you father's way of coping. We can help him with his issues and make sure he stops the abuse."

"You want to help him but you won't listen to me. I don't want to ever go back to him. He hit me, starved me and locked me in a closet when I forgot to get his paper. The day I got strangled and rushed to hospital, he came hours later and signed me out. He took me home and handcuffed me to a rail in the closet. Mr Hotchner treats me with respect and his son is like the little brother I never had. He likes my weird brain and I built his Lego death star for him. My father is a monster. If you put me back with him, that makes you one too."

He pushed away from the table and ran up the stairs, past Hotch and locked himself in the bathroom. Sliding down the wall, he let out a frustrated angry scream. He listened to heated words downstairs but he couldn't make them out. He put his head against the wall and closed his eyes. Nothing worked out. He let out a small sarcastic snort at the social worker's words. His father had anger issues.

No, he knew the truth. There was something dark inside his father, a black smog of evil that had grown since that first hit across his face. His father was evil, beyond the help of some therapist.

Hotch closed the door and watched through the small window as the social worker got in her car. They would have a final decision in two days. Quickly, he made his way up the stairs and knocked on the bathroom door. He heard a small click and twisted the knob. Spencer was against the wall. "Don't make me go."

He sat down next to him and put his arms around him. "Come here."

He looked him in the eyes. "We won't let them place you with strangers. I promise. Trust me, there are other routes we can go if she denies you to stay here. I've spoken with my superiors at work and they've agreed to let me take some extended leave. For the next two months, I'm going to help you get better and I'm even going to help you get back into school. I told the social worker and she has taken it under consideration. We'll find out in two days."

"How is it that you've been more of a father to me in the last few days than my own biological father has since the day I was born? I'm struggling and I don't know how to handle this. I'm scared of what will happen to me and I miss my mom. I miss her voice."

Spencer brought his hand up and sobbed gently. Hotch felt him lean against him. He held Spencer and didn't say a word. Spencer needed comfort and that didn't require words.

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